The space race is still on! A manned mission to Mars has been the ultimate goal of countries with advanced technology since the first tiny sattelite kept its orbit around the globe. Scientists and engineers have been working continuously to achieve that dream--a dream about to become a reality. NASA has released a statement confirming that they are almost ready to launch a manned craft to Mars. Details were sketchy--no schematics were available, no astronauts have been chosen, no launch date has been set. But NASA assured us that more information would be forthcoming as final plans for the mission are settled. We were allowed to interview the heads of the project: Drs. T. Rekall, Sharon Schwarz, and Arnold Stone. While they all expressed different concerns and hopes for the mission, they all shared a profound optimism for its success.
Dr. T. Rekall, past winner of the Nobel Prize for his work in robotics, said, "We've had a lot of problems to work around that the experts of that first manned mission to the moon never dreamed of. Even with today's advanced technology, especially in the area of computers, we had to really bend our brains around this one. Despite our trials, we've managed to get the worst of our bugs out. This baby will fly. Really."
Dr. Arnold Stone agreed, but found the whole experience exhilirating rather than taxing. Dr. Stone also added, "This mission rocks! Mars is totally the most far out trip you can take without acid, man. We're so psyched!"
Dr. Sharon Shwarz, P.H.D., M.M.S., D.D.S., P.D.Q., told us that absolutely nothing could possibly go wrong on this mission. They've gone over every scenario, double-checked everything. "A bunch of untrained chimps could make this trip while scratching their butts. We've taken all the work out of it. Only gross pilot error could ruin this trip. So if this whole thing blows up in our faces, it won't be our fault."
Only time will tell. But we here at Unpopular Science wish them the best of luck.
With some coaxing, NASA was willing to give us a sneak peek at their revolutionary new spacesuit.
This new spacesuit has been designed especially to withstand the incredible range of temperatures on the surface of Mars. Rumor has it that the astronauts who have tested the suit find it very uncomfortable--claiming it's too top-heavy. NASA says that while the suit may take some getting used to, the astronauts will definitely be grateful for its streamline size and shape when facing the harsh conditions on Mars.